Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes high mortality and morbidity due to infectious exacerbations. Of infectious
exacerbations 25-30 % are of viral origin. The aim of this study was to investigate the influenza vaccination rate, level of knowledge
about influenza vaccination and whether it had any effect on the number of COPD exacerbation for one year in COPD patients.
Totally 98 COPD patients were included in the study (73 male, 25 female, aged 62.76±10.47). The influenza vaccination rate for the
last year was 34.7%. An average of 2.12±1.17 COPD exacerbations was determined for the last year in 34 influenza vaccinated
patients, whereas an avarage of 2.67±1.24 COPD exacerbations was determined in 64 unvaccinated patients. It was seen that 51
COPD patients (52.1%) knew that they had to be vaccinated with influenza vaccine. In conclusion, although influenza vaccine is
routinely recommended in national and international COPD diagnosis and treatment guidelines, the rate of influenza vaccination is
low in Turkey.